MUSKOGEE, Okla. (AP) - Prosecutors have cleared a Muskogee police officer in a shooting earlier this month that wounded a man.
Muskogee County District Attorney Larry Moore says Officer Joseph Poffel acted appropriately in the Jan. 2 incident that wounded Thomas Estes. Authorities say Poffel shot Estes once in the abdomen after Estes allegedly reached for another officer’s gun during a traffic stop.
In a news release, Moore commended Poffel for the “restraint used in not repeatedly shooting Estes under the circumstances.”
According to the Muskogee Phoenix (https://bit.ly/1mRNHhP ), Estes is charged with possession of a firearm after former felony conviction, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault and battery on a police officer. He’s due in court Jan. 31 for a preliminary hearing.
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Information from: Muskogee Phoenix, https://www.muskogeephoenix.com
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